 |
Disability Defined
A disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more life activities, such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working.
Examples of some disabilities may include, but are not limited to:
- Cerebral palsy
- Muscular dystrophy
- AIDS
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Ulcerative colitis
- Deafness or hard of hearing
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Depression
- Learning disabilities
- Multiple sclerosis
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Epilepsy
- Visual impairments
- Bipolar disorder
- Traumatic brain injury
- ADD/ADHD
- Cardiac conditions
Temporary conditions that are not considered disabilities for purposes of determining eligibility for Disability Services:
A number of temporary conditions are excluded from the category of disability and, therefore, individuals with these conditions are ineligible for services through the Office of Disability Services. Some of these are listed below:
- Advanced age, in and of itself, is not a disability, although severe hearing loss and arthritis could be considered disabilities.
- Temporary impairments, such as a broken leg, sprain, or infection that is expected to heal quickly
- Illiteracy or poverty
- Impairments that do not limit a major life activity
- Pregnancy
- Individuals for whom English is a second language
